Sheila and I made a sabbatical trek to Italy a few months ago. My effort to reconnect with the Ancient Church took me to the Piazza della Signoria, Florence’s most famous square, where I paused and took this picture.
Piazza della Signoria is the site of the infamous Bonfire of the Vanities, during which Dominican priest, Girolamo Savonarola directed his followers, in religious fervor more akin to the Taliban than to Christ, to destroy “objects of vanity.” On February 7th, 1497, they demanded citizens turn over their cosmetics, books, paintings, musical instruments and artwork - everything Savonarola deemed sinful - to be burned. It was a terrifying night in Florence.
Only a year later, after irritating the Pope, Savonarola was sentenced to die in a similar bonfire. A plaque on the Piazza della Signoria marks the spot where his public execution took place.
The history is interesting; the subject matter even more so.
Sheila and I had to deal with this issue about 3 years ago. We were walking along a country road, enjoying our time and conversation, when we found a bag filled with pornography. I blogged about it here. The responsibility fell to us. We burned it.
It seemed the best thing to do.
Before you reject the notion of burning pornography, ask yourself what else you’d do with it? I'm not asking what you think others should do; nor am I endorsing a Taliban-like religious persecution designed to force others to live according to your judgments and personal interpretations of what's acceptable and what's not. I'm not asking about coerced morality. I'm asking a more personal question. I'm asking about you. If the responsibility for it fell to you, what would you do?
- Sell it on Craig’s List? How’s that supposed to help others walk in the light of God’s love?
- Give it to a friend? What impact will it have on your friend?
- Lock it away and leave it in your will as an inheritance for your children? Seriously? Do you really want your children to have it? Why?
- Toss it out the window of your car? Now you've added littering to the mix. What happens if kids find it?
Maybe my thinking is consequential to watching The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, but as surely as Frodo's "fellowship of the ring" was pledged to burn the evil "one ring to rule them all" (which came into Frodo's possession, made him the ring-bearer, and became his responsibility), it seems to me that, like Frodo, we could burn some things at no cost to God's Kingdom and great profit to our souls. The ring cost Gollum; he held evil close and fell into the Cracks of Doom, losing everything, even his life.
One more word on this: Don't take to burning everyone else's stuff. Take responsibility for what has come to you. Clean your own house.
Acts 19:18-20 - Many of those who thus believed came forward and made a clean break with their secret sorceries. All kinds of witches and warlocks came out of the woodwork with their books of spells and incantations and made a huge bonfire of them. Someone estimated their worth at fifty thousand silver coins. In such ways it became evident that the Word of the Master was now sovereign and prevailed in Ephesus.
I Cor. 3:11-15"For any other foundation can no one lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. And if anyone builds on this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble, each one’s work shall be revealed. For the Day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try each one’s work as to what kind it is. If anyone’s work which he built remains, he shall receive a reward. If anyone’s work shall be burned up, he shall suffer loss. But he shall be saved, yet so as by fire."
Fire can destroy or purify and it seems to me that the choice you and Shelia made was to do both! A sacrifice is not a sacrifice unless it is something that is precious and desirable to you that you are willing to give up for the kingdom of God.
Posted by: James | February 15, 2011 at 10:55 AM